Determinants of work‐family balance satisfaction during the pandemic

Insights from Québec

Bibliographic Data

ID12925994
AuthorsSophie Mathieu (0000-0002-8749-7480, Vanier College, corresponding author), Diane‐gabrielle Tremblay (0000-0002-3343-9146, Université TÉLUQ), Christina Treleaven (University of British Columbia), Sylvia Fuller (0000-0003-2582-122X, University of British Columbia)
Year2023
Volume60
Issue2
Pages212-228
Publication date2023-03-23
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCanadian Review of Sociology/Revue canadienne de sociologie (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1755-6171 • E-ISSN: 1755-618X
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/cars.12427
PMID36950908
OpenAlexW4360599708
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited57

The first wave of the COVID pandemic was the most challenging for employed parents, and more specifically for women. In Québec, research has shown a deterioration in the psychological health of parents in the early weeks of the pandemic. In this research, we investigate how Québec parents who remained employed during the lockdown in 2020 perceived their work-family balance in the stressful context of new earning and caregiving constraints, drawing on survey data collected in May 2020. Our approach integrates insights from psychological, managerial and sociological literatures. We find that most parents who remained employed found their work-family balance "easy" in the first months of the pandemic, but women felt less satisfied with their work-family balance than men as well as those whose employers were less understanding and supportive, and those whose workloads increased. The implications of these results are discussed in the light of previous studies on work-family intersections, to show that gender continues to matter when family members are faced with extraordinary circumstances such as the closing of childcare and schools, even in the egalitarian context of Québec, where fathers are perceived as legitimate caregivers

Balance (ability · Context (archaeology · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Geography · Pandemic · Sociology · Work (physics · Emotional Labor in Professions · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology · Work-Family Balance Challenges · Workaholism, burnout, and well-being

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